“This way,” I said, nodding up Crown Street. We fell into step beside each other as we walked. “So, I didn’t even ask. Do you live close by? Please don’t tell me you live at Penrith and I made you come all this way.”

He smiled. “No. Newtown. Twenty minutes from here on the 353.”

“You like it there?”

“Newtown? Yeah, sure. It’s like Surry Hills just minus the price tag and some of the pretentious kale-smoothie types.” He shot me an oh-shit look. “You’re not the pretentious kale-smoothie type, are you?”

I laughed at that. “No. Coffee, water, sometimes a juice if I need sugar. A wine or a beer maybe, depends what I’m in the mood for. Nothing overly pretentious.”

“Phew. That was lucky. It could have been super awkward.” He grinned at me. “So what about you? Have you lived around here long?”

I was right. Getting him out and changing the subject had him more relaxed already. “Six months. I moved from the North Shore, so not too far. Surry Hills was close to work and I needed a change of scene, and at first I was like, what the hell have I done? But now I like it.”

“You needed a change of scene?”

“Relationship breakdown,” I said. “It was over months before that, but I just don’t think I wanted to admit it, ya know? Anyway, it was kind of a mess. Nothing horrible, but every time I left my place, it felt like I ran into him. Or him and his new boyfriend. Or his friends. At the supermarket, at the café, restaurants. So I just thought a move sounded exactly like what I needed.” Our walking pace had slowed to a leisurely stroll. “Is that too much information?”

“Not at all. As I said, I like transparency.”

We passed the Clock Hotel and crossed over to the park. It was busy for a cold wintery day; there was a kid’s birthday party or playgroup or parents’ group with an army of three-year-olds in the middle of the park and a Tai Chi group at the other end. I was kind of disappointed that we didn’t have somewhere to sit.

“That reminds me,” I said. “The other day when I asked you if you were still interested in attending my support meetings, you asked if there would be a venue change. What did you mean by that?”

“Was that during one of my nervous ramblings, because you can probably disregard anything and all I ever say when I’m like that.”

I chuckled. “I think it might be the opposite. I think the filter comes off and you say what’s really on your mind.”